Do you have a storm story? I bet there may be a few to choose from in your memory banks. Whether it be from when you were a little kid or even a present day memory, storms are just a fact of life here in the Midwest.

Storms can be both unexpected and even a bit scary. I can recall a time from my life that took place just a few years ago in July of 2012. My wife and I were camping in Itasca State Park for our 1 year wedding anniversary. The weather had been unbearably hot and humid; the perfect recipe for a big storm. I can remember finishing our dinner as we watched these big thunderclouds move in. Within a few minutes of cleaning up our picnic table and putting away our food, the wind started to blow. We were huddled in our tent watching the trees above us start to bend and circle from the force of the wind. Needless to say, we were not in the right place to be caught in 85 mile per hour straight line winds!

We decided our tent was probably not the safest place to be and attempted to make it to the bathrooms which were about 100 yards from our campsite. The moment we exited our tent, trees starting falling all around us. The people from the camper next to us called for us to take shelter in their camper. We made it inside as the trees around our tent fell right where we would have been running for the bathrooms. We waited out the storm in their camper and once it ended there was not much left standing. Our tent, car, and their camper were unharmed, but the rest of the campground looked like a bulldozer had gone through the place. It was a nerve-wracking, frightening experience, but we were thankful to escape unscathed.

In moments such as that one, my faith, trust, and assurance in God are definitely put to the test. In the panic-stricken moments of the wind swirling and trees falling, the last thing on my mind was the idea that we were going to be okay. I became paralyzed with uncertainty about what would happen, how we could fix our predicament, or how we would make it out of this storm. I probably reacted very similarly to the disciples in Luke 8 when they were caught in a terrible storm threatening to sink them and Jesus was sleeping right in the middle of the chaos. When the disciples awaken Jesus, He rebukes the wind and the waves and all is immediately calm and still.

How quickly we can lose sight of the power and presence of Jesus when storms come in our lives…and I don’t just mean the physical ones with wind and rain. Jesus shows us that He is the One in control of our circumstances, the One with the power and ability to provide for us in our times of need, and the One who is present and aware of our experiences. We can trust and be assured of His power and presence in our lives even when we go through tough times because He has proven Himself faithful.